List Of Buddha Claimants

This short list of Buddha claimants is a list of people who claimed to have attained enlightenment and became Buddhas, claimed themselves to be manifestations of Bodhisattvas, or have been honored as a Buddha or Bodhisattva due to popularity or proof of auspicious signs.

Many, in recent times, have also claimed themselved to be Maitreya, the next Buddha to succeed the historical Sakyamuni Buddha.

An asterisk (*) indicates a significant number of followers, while a double dagger (‡) marks those referring to a royal line of deification rather than an individual.

Who

Image

When

What

Hogen Fukunaga

1951-

In 1987 after an alleged spiritual event he claimed to realize he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and the Buddha.

Jim Jones

1931–1978

Also claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus and Buddha. Further he added that he was the reincarnation of Akhenaten, Father Divine, and Vladimir Lenin

Founder of the True Buddha School. Professes to be the incarnation of Padmakumara, a deity in Sukhavati, calling himself «Living Buddha Lian Shen»

*Ching Hai

1950s

A meditation master who professes to be an incarnation of God, the Buddha, and the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, popularly known as Guan Yin, for which her meditation method is named after

Ruth Norman

1930s

Leading member of the Unarius Academy of Science. She claimed to have had 55 past lives. One of these was as Sakyamuni Buddha. Others included Socrates, King Arthur, Confucius, and a King of Atlantis.

*Guan Yu

160-219

Legendary military warrior during the late Eastern Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period in ancient China. Today, many people, including both police and mafia, consider him to be a divine object of reverence. In certain schools of Taoism and Chinese Buddhism he has been deemed divine or semi-divine status. The reverence for him may date back to the Sui dynasty. He is generally believed by many Buddhists as a Bodhisattva that guards the Buddhist faith and the temples. He is known as Sangharama in Sanskrit. He is the most recent person to be considered a Bodhisattva.

Maitreya

Unknown

A man who calls himself Maitreya is professed by Benjamin Creme

‡Nurhaci

1559-1626

Also known as Emperor Tai Zu. Founder and leader of the Qing Dynasty, believed he was a manifestation of Manjushri Bodhisattva.

Samael Aun Weor

1917-1977

Claimed to be Maitreya Buddha, as well as the avatar Kalki

L. Ron Hubbard

1911-1986

Founder of Scientology. Claimed that he was the fulfillment of Maitreya in a prophecy he wrote

Lu Zhong Yi

1849-1925

The 17th patriarch of the I-Kuan Tao, proclaimed himself as an incarnation of Maitreya.

*Li Hongzhi

1951-

Founder of Falun Gong who proclaimed himself as a Buddha ()

*Ram Bamjan

1989-

A 15-year old Nepalese Buddhist monk who many have hailed as a new Buddha, with some to have seen light emanating from the teenager’s forehead. Despite his protestations of not attaining enlightenment, many continue on insisting he is a Buddha.

*Peter Deunov

1864-1944

Also known as Master Beinsa Douno. Spiritual teacher, founder of a teaching and school of Esoteric Christianity. Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher, identified Master Beinsa Douno as manifestation of Maitreya in the late 20th century